It always comes back to the same thing. Thousands of gardeners are looking for ways to garden… less! Yes, they want a beautiful flower garden. No, they don’t want to maintain it for hours. They don’t want to water and they don’t want the plants to be attacked by insects and diseases. And that’s not all: it must bloom all year round! These gardeners want perfect perennials, almost like plastic plants! Well, there are a few plants that meet some or all of these high performance criteria. Nepetas are part of this group. The Nepeta’ Cat’s Meow ‘ in a beautiful ornamental flower bed. Photo: Proven Winners.
Let’s immediately settle the big question that tickles your whiskers: is nepeta the real catnip? Yes and no. What is called catnip is actually a mixture of grass-like herbs, such as barley, wheat or oats. It looks a lot more like giant grass than nepeta. This catnip is very easy to grow indoors.
On the other hand, nepetas are also given the name of catmint or catnip. Because there is a species of nepeta, Nepeta cataria, which causes an euphoric effect on felines. This plant is so intoxicating that cats will actually lay down and roll over the plant. Finding plants or seeds of this other true catnip is relatively easy.
The species grown in the garden are not the same and generate a little less interest among the neighborhood kitties. That said, I myself have seen my own cat lay on my young ‘Walker’s Low’ nepeta plants. Eventually, the plant grew in strength and their relationship is now limited to a few chewed leaves and tender caresses.
There are about five or six species of nepetas that are of horticultural interest. In fact, the genus Nepeta brings together more than 250 species, distributed mainly in Russia, Asia and northern Africa. The majority of nepetas have greyish leaves and flowers in erect spikes. Photo: Proven Winners.
Most cultivars on the market are derived from Nepeta x faassenii , which itself is a cross between N. nepetella and N. racemosa. These hybrids form the typical catnip group. They are perennial plants with a rather rounded habit and which reach about 45 cm in height. Their foliage is toothed and rather triangular in shape. It is slightly graying and aromatic and releases a small mixture of mint and cinnamon. The stems of the plant are square, which is typical of the Lamiaceae family, to which nepetas belong.
The bloom rises above the foliage. There are hundreds of tiny mauve flowers gathered in aggregates or whorls. There are always new flowers developing, which explains the prolonged flowering of nepetas. It is a plant that establishes itself quickly and flowers on the first year of planting.
It is also important to underline the great ecological value of nepetas. They attract masses of pollinating insects of all kinds. It is also shunned by deer and wild rabbits.
Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is a herbaceous perennial plant in the mint family that has a characteristic minty lemony aroma. What makes catnip unique is the euphoric effect it has on cats when they sniff it roll in it, and eat it. Catnip contains an essential oil called nepetalactone that activates sensory neurons in cats when inhaled or ingested. This gives cats a temporary “high” leading to several minutes of hyperactive behavior, followed by a sedated state.
While domestic and wild cats cannot resist catnip, the plant also has other appealing qualities for people. Catnip is drought-tolerant, deer resistant, and attracts pollinators. It has been used as a remedy for various conditions, and for culinary purposes. However, the spreading nature of catnip may be undesirable in cultivated gardens.
Fortunately, there are several other plants that resemble catnip in appearance, growth habit, uses, and cultivation needs – without causing chaos and destruction in your garden Here are some of the top plants that can be grown as catnip lookalikes
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
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Like catnip, lemon balm is an aromatic perennial in the mint family. It has a lemony scent and oval, serrated leaves.
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The leaves are more heart-shaped at the base compared to catnip. Lemon balm also has a more open, branching form.
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Lemon balm has larger hairs on its leaves and stems that are visible. Catnip is finely hairy but the hairs are not obvious.
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Lemon balm flowers and sets seed less readily than catnip. The small white flowers are in clusters along the stem rather than dense spikes.
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Cats are not attracted to lemon balm. It has culinary uses for tea and seasoning foods. The leaves also have medicinal benefits.
Catmints (Nepeta species)
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There are many ornamental catmint varieties that resemble catnip’s foliage and growth habit, including Nepeta x faassenii and Nepeta racemosa.
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Catmints have a subtler fragrance than catnip, being less minty and more aromatic. The flowers are typically purple to blue.
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Catmints are less aggressive spreaders and seeders than catnip. Cultivars like ‘Walker’s Low’ and ‘Six Hills Giant’ make good garden perennials.
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Most catmints do not contain nepetalactone and do not induce a reaction in cats. However, some may still mildly attract cats.
Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
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Russian sage is a woody-based perennial with grey-green leaves similar in shape to catnip leaves.
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The bushy, upright plant grows 3-5 feet tall on rigid square stems. Airy spikes of lavender-blue flowers bloom in summer.
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The silvery foliage is aromatic like catnip when crushed. It prefers full sun and dry conditions when established.
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Russian sage does not interact with cats. It serves as a beautiful flowering landscape plant that attracts butterflies.
Lavenders (Lavandula species)
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Lavenders like Lavandula angustifolia have fragrant foliage like catnip with a comparable gray-green color.
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The leaves are longer and thinner than catnip leaves. Plants form low mounds that produce abundant purple flower spikes.
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Lavenders are very drought tolerant once established and thrive in full sun and well-drained sites.
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Cats generally do not respond to lavender plants. Lavender is grown commercially for culinary use and essential oils.
Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina)
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Lamb’s ear has soft, velvety leaves that are much larger than catnip but similar in shape and color.
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Plants form low, spreading clumps with sparse purple flowers on spikes rising above the foliage.
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Lamb’s ear thrives in full sun or part shade with average to dry soil. The fuzzy leaves are deer and rabbit resistant.
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Cats ignore this plant. It serves as an attractive groundcover and accent plant.
Cat thyme (Teucrium marum)
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Cat thyme has small, aromatic leaves that form a low, spreading mat like catnip. The foliage is gray-green with a pungent, spicy fragrance.
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Tiny tubular flowers in shades of pink, purple or white bloom above the foliage in summer. Plants grow 4-6 inches tall.
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Cat thyme needs well-drained soil and full sun. It tolerates heat and drought. The dense growth habit makes it useful as a groundcover.
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It does not induce a reaction in cats, despite the name. Cat thyme has traditionally been used in medicinal teas.
Growing Tips
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Most catnip lookalikes grow best in full sun and well-drained soil. Amend soil with compost at planting to get them established.
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Allow 12-24 inches between young plants depending on their predicted mature size. Water new plantings regularly until they become established.
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Pinch back leggy growth in late spring to encourage bushiness. Cut back spent flower spikes after the first flush of blooms.
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Mulch around plants to help retain moisture and reduce weeds. Avoid fertilizing, which can cause excessive growth and floppiness.
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Propagate by division in spring or fall by digging up plants and separating rooted shoots. Take 3-6 inch stem cuttings in summer.
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Most plants are hardy to zone 4 or lower. Apply winter mulch after the ground freezes for protection in cold climates.
While no plant perfectly mimics catnip, the aromatic foliage and growth habit of these lookalikes can make satisfying substitutes in your garden. Enjoy their flowers, scents and textures without the chaos induced in felines by true catnip. With proper siting and care, these plants will thrive for you and reward you with years of easy-care beauty.
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How to Maintain Nepetas?
Since there are no problems with insects and disease, it really is a plant to watch grow. A little cleaning in the spring to remove the dead stems and it’s done.
The first flowering usually occurs between the end of May and the beginning of June. It lasts several weeks. To encourage the plant to flower until autumn, it is necessary to prune the faded flowers, to encourage the regrowth which will bear new flowers. Given the abundance of flowering, pruning the flower stalks one by one can be long. This is why, in my case, as soon as I feel a slight slowdown in flowering, I grab all the stems with one hand and with the other, I prune the whole plant at once. I remove about 25 or 30 cm of stems. The idea is to cut the plant back as much as possible, without compromising its beautiful full look. This action can give a shock, I agree. But after only a week, the plant grows new shoots and nothing shows. Then, thanks to this radical technique, the second flowering is as spectacular and as beautiful as the first. It will last until September, sometimes October.
Easy to Grow? Really?
The answer is yes, without hesitation. Nepetas are full-sun plants that have remarkable drought tolerance. They grow equally well in many types of soil, as long as the drainage is good. At planting, it is not even necessary to amend the soil. Nepetas grow well in poor soils. Once planted, there is almost nothing to do! A watering, if a great extreme drought persists, and that’s it.
Several years ago, nepetas had to be kept under surveillance, because they had the annoying habit of re-seeding themselves, if the conditions were right. Nothing really catastrophic: the plant was easy to control and we used these young plants to fill in the holes, by transplanting. Luckily, most newer strains (pretty much anything that has a kitty pun in their name) don’t have this defect.
Grow Catnip Plants for Your Health and Your Cats
FAQ
What plant looks like catnip?
Catmint (Nepeta cataria) is a plant that closely resembles catnip, and is often confused with it, but has distinct differences.
What plants are similar to catnip for cats?
- Catnip easily tops the list of my cats favourite plants.
- Valerian is another cat favourite
- Cat Thyme
- Cat Grass
- Spider plants
- Honeysuckle
- Silver vine
How to tell the difference between catmint and catnip?
Here are some other differences and similarities between the two plants: Catnip has a weedier appearance, while catmint is often used as a pretty, flowering perennial in beds. Catmint flowers more continuously than catnip. Catnip flowers are typically white. Catmint flowers are lavender.
Is cat’s meow catmint invasive?
No, “Cat’s Meow” catmint (Nepeta x faassenii ‘Cat’s Meow’) is not generally considered invasive. While it can spread, it’s generally well-behaved and doesn’t aggressively spread or reseed like some other catmint varieties.